I was looking forward to driving my '54 to our chapter meeting today. I went out and uncovered it this morning, reconnected the battery, started it and let it run awhile. Later I went in to start it and go to the meeting, and it acted like the battery was dead. Very dim dome light, hardly enough power to click the solenoid. I unhooked the battery ground and put the charger on for a few minutes.
I tried hooking up the ground again. It made a big arc when I touched the cable to the post, like there was a big current draw. This was with everything off, doors shut so no dome light, all switches and key off.
I unhooked both cables, and left it alone while I went to the meeting. A couple of hours later I went out to trouble shoot. I unhooked the feed wire from the regulator to the battery connection at the solenoid and the wire feeding in to the ammeter. I reconnected the battery cables, and tried reconnecting the wires one at a time. I figured which ever one had the short on it would cause the draw, and I would know which direction to start looking. I reconnected the regulator wire first, no spark, battery showed good charge with meter. I hooked the ammeter wire back up, same result,no problems. I tried cranking it and it started right up. Took a short drive, everything works, ammeter showing charge, all electrics working normally.
I got thinking, I forgot to polarize the generator when I reconnected the battery this morning. It had been disconnected for the winter. I unhooked the battery, rehooked it and polarized it per the shop manual. I've read failing to do this can cause the regulator points to arc. Is it possible my regulator points had stuck and the battery was discharging to ground through the generator?
Having a problem like this just "go away" on its own scares me. I don't want it to happen and leave me stranded somewhere, or god forbid catch fire.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
I tried hooking up the ground again. It made a big arc when I touched the cable to the post, like there was a big current draw. This was with everything off, doors shut so no dome light, all switches and key off.
I unhooked both cables, and left it alone while I went to the meeting. A couple of hours later I went out to trouble shoot. I unhooked the feed wire from the regulator to the battery connection at the solenoid and the wire feeding in to the ammeter. I reconnected the battery cables, and tried reconnecting the wires one at a time. I figured which ever one had the short on it would cause the draw, and I would know which direction to start looking. I reconnected the regulator wire first, no spark, battery showed good charge with meter. I hooked the ammeter wire back up, same result,no problems. I tried cranking it and it started right up. Took a short drive, everything works, ammeter showing charge, all electrics working normally.
I got thinking, I forgot to polarize the generator when I reconnected the battery this morning. It had been disconnected for the winter. I unhooked the battery, rehooked it and polarized it per the shop manual. I've read failing to do this can cause the regulator points to arc. Is it possible my regulator points had stuck and the battery was discharging to ground through the generator?
Having a problem like this just "go away" on its own scares me. I don't want it to happen and leave me stranded somewhere, or god forbid catch fire.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
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